Is a blood clot in brain a serious problem?

Q:A small blood clot is found in the brain of my 65 years old mother. Her left leg became numb 2 days ago. She is a diabetic but her BP is normal. Please advise.

A:I am presuming from your brief description that the doctor told your mother that she has suffered a Stroke. From this point on, it is important that she controls any risk factors she may have for another stroke, and takes the appropriate medication to help reduce that risk. The risk factors include high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and smoking. You have already told me that she has high cholesterol and diabetes; it is important she keeps a tight control on both of these, and should be seeing her doctor regularly in order to ensure that this is the case. I cannot tell from your question whether your mother was given a brain scan, nor whether the doctor she saw was a Neurologist. I would strongly recommend that she should see a Neurologist if she has not already, as there are some tests, which she really should undergo in order to determine what are the cause of the Stroke may have been (as well as a brain scan if she has not already had one). The Neurologist will also be able to advise regarding the appropriate preventative medications.